In Vino Veritas
by BeautyforAshes7
Summary: He should have known that alcohol was the only way to get the truth.


"She's really wasted, Mr. Castle. I wouldn't trust her to get a cab home by herself." The bartender's voice rang through the telephone, urging him to gather his wife from The Old Haunt.

"Thanks for calling, Jeremy," Castle said to his best bartender, "I'll be there in ten minutes."

Castle's hand reached for his jacket, fingers shaking as his eyes landed on the NYPD T-shirt, one of the only items of clothing left in the loft that belonged to his beloved Kate.

His feet shuffled toward the door, hesitant, as he wondered if Kate will be angry. Well, if she didn't want him to know where she was, she probably should have chosen a different bar to drown her sorrows.

 _What does she have to be sorrowful about? She could come home at any moment._

He doesn't let his feelings of betrayal keep him from taking care of this woman that he pledged his life to. She would be coming home with him tonight, even if it resulted in his heart breaking all over again as he saw an empty space in his bed in the morning.

Castle grabbed his keys and made his way to pick up his wife.

….

As he opened the door to The Old Haunt, it didn't take him long to spot the brown curls falling down the back of the woman he thought he knew better than himself. A deep breath made its way through his chest when he spotted a man sitting next to her. They appeared to be having a conversation.

Castle gulped as the man's features came into view. He tried to hold onto the last shred of hope that sat in his body. But all things considered, this made him question everything about the woman before him.

 _Why was his wife getting drunk with Vikram?_

As he inched closer, trying to hide from view, Castle leaned in to listen to the conversation. Vikram's voice bellowed over the crowd.

"Beckett, you are drunk and should probably go home," Vikram leaned in close to Beckett's ear.

"I don't have a home," Beckett whined, "I destroyed my home."

Castle's heart broke as he heard his wife talking. She had to know that she could come home at any moment.

"Then come home with me," Vikram said, "I'll take care of you; get you ready for work in the morning."

"Are you hitting on me?" Beckett looked at Vikram, leaning back in her chair.

"Not really," Vikram's put his hand over Beckett's. "I just thought we could have a night, where you didn't have to think about the case. You could just be."

Castle's hands started shaking. Surely, Beckett wouldn't even think…

"I'm married, Vikram, and I love my husband." Beckett pulled her hand away from Vikram's, scowling at him.

"Then why are you at a bar with me instead of home with him? Why are you working a case with me instead of the man that you claim to be the love of your life?

Vikram grabbed Beckett's hand and placed it between his, "We would be great together."

Castle was about to walk towards them and give Vikram a piece of his mind when his wife got up from her bar stool. His heart sank. _Was she going with him? No way would Beckett cheat on him._

As Castle considered turning around and heading back home to drown his sorrows and admit that he didn't know Kate Beckett the way he thought he did, his beloved wife's fist connected with Vikram's right eye.

"I love my husband," Beckett shouted at him as Vikram tumbled backward, "We're done, Vikram."

Castle made his way through the crowd as quick as possible and grabbed his wife.

"Cassstle?" Beckett slurred, but linked her fingers with his as he pulled her away from the crowd and out of the bar.

As they made their way out the door, Beckett leaned into Castle.

"How, uh, how much did you hear?"

Castle's eyes met Kate's, "Enough."

"I'm a bad wife, Castle. You are a good man and a loving husband. I am such a bad wife. I'm sorry," Beckett's sentences were slurring together, evidence of the many ounces of liquor she had consumed that evening.

"Beckett, why were you at a bar with Vikram?" He asked pointedly, knowing that Beckett became more open when she had a few too many beverages to drink.

"We had been working a case together. It was going nowhere and we decided to take a liquor break. I needed the case to go somewhere and was frustrated. I needed to get back to you." Beckett voice went up a few octaves, her words coming out at a rapid speed.

"It turned out that Vikram was a jerk," Beckett eyes met Castle's, "Sorry about that."

Castle eyes wandered over his wife. Her hair was disheveled, bags under her eyes gave away that she hadn't slept for weeks. As much as he wanted to get the truth out of Kate, he knew that tonight was not the right time.

"Let's go home," Castle looped his arm through Kate's, "We can discuss this in the morning."

Kate pulled away, "Noooooo," she whispered, "can't go home with you. Can't bring you down the rabbit hole with me."

"What rabbit hole? Kate, honey, what are you talking about?" Castle tried to put his arm through Kate's again.

"Have to keep you safe. I know I'm a bad wife for investigating, but the least I can to do is not drag you into it." Kate put her hand in his.

"I love you, I'm fighting for us."

"Kate, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," It was Castle's turn to back away now. "I am picking you up from my bar because you were way too drunk to get home on your own. If you are investigating some case that you don't want me involved in, you sure aren't doing a good job of staying away."

"I can't stay away," Tears began to fall down Kate's face, "I love you too much."

"If you can't stay away, then you need to let me help. You need to let me be in this, honey. One foot out the door is clearly not accomplishing any of your goals." Castle wrapped his arms around Kate, kissing the top her head.

"We're going home."

Kate nodded her head, meeting Castle's gaze. He saw her eyes light up as if a moment of recognition finally made its way through.

"I love you," she said.

"I know you do," Castle opened the passenger side of his car and allowed Kate to sit down.

…

The next morning when Castle turned over in his bed, he met the gaze of the brown hair, hazel eyed beauty that he had fiercely missed over the last month. Kate snuggled into his chest and said the words that he had been dreaming of since she walked out that door,

"Babe, I'm ready to talk."


End file.
